Inheritance and Legacy
by Effenay
Summary: After tragedy struck on the Order of Guardians, the thieves responsible raided the temple and stole 18 of 19 sacred treasures known as the miraculous. Survivors of the tragedy vowed to bring the lost pieces back, in fear of the catastrophes that may come by those who misuse them. Centuries later Wang Fu, is forced to find a new successor in his youngest descendant Marinette.
1. Prologue

**Inheritance and Legacy**

_**Author's note:**_

_**I would like to explain myself with the kind of fic this is gonna be. This an AU fic and not a salt fic. (I honestly think the show works as a springboard of ideas, a little flawed, but it's not thatbad) The story behind this idea is that I originally wanted to write this concept into my original work, however, the concept itself felt like it was too similar to secret identity/magical alter ego troupes you see in manga and anime like kamichama Karin, DnAngel, etc. Not to mention it doesn't feel like it could fit within the confines of the work I've been writing for a while.**_

_**As a consequence, I shelved the thought until I read and watched a few MLB episodes and fanfics. Then I thought hey, why not just use the concept on fanfic for this. That way, I'll have fun expanding concepts from the MLB PV as well as add my own spin on it.**_

_**This fic will diverge away from the canon but I will be using Thomas Austruc's characters as a vessel for this concept.**_

**Prologue**

This was a tale told for generations. One that spanned for so long of a time that one would begin to question its own origins.

It began with an Order of temple monks, designated with the task of safekeeping a box of miraculous treasures. These treasures are vessels to the great deities of eons past. Once known to the world, the sacred treasures once served a great empire. But after its fall, the Order took matters to their own hands and hid from the world. They, who once served the empire chose to honour the deities' wishes.

For a time, the sacred treasures were only granted to those who were deemed worthy of carrying the deities' wills. And for a time, the Order of monks appointed themselves as guardians of the sacred treasures.

Then one day, tragedy struck on the Order. The temple was attacked by a band of thieves, pillaging everything in their path. The temple monks were no stranger to raids and fought back, but were overwhelmed by the raiders' weaponry.

The thieves took the box that contained the sacred treasures, leaving behind a massacre. Those who survived managed to save the miraculous of creation, one of the two most powerful of the sacred treasures. Gathering the remainder of the Order, the monks vowed to take back the sacred treasures in fear of what may come to those who abuse their powers.


	2. a family's legacy goes beyond centuries

**In which a family legacy goes beyond centuries**

If there was a word Marinette Dupain-Cheng would describe herself, it would be ordinary. An everyday girl who happens to dream of becoming a fashion designer. She never really thought of herself as someone who could stand out in a crowd; whether it be her social life, work ethic, or even when it came to her passion for designing. And it is with all these things in mind did it come to her surprise when she became Paris's very own superhero.

It all started when her mother called her down to the dinner table on a Wednesday afternoon.

"Marinette dear," her mother began. "I need you to go somewhere today."

"Mama?" the pigtailed girl gave her a puzzled look the very moment her mother donned a solemn one.

"There is a massage shop a few blocks down the road. There, I'd like you to meet with the owner of the shop and deliver these to him," her mother handed over a box of the Dupain-Cheng's best pastries to her.

"Mama, what's wrong? Has something happened?"

Sabine Cheng lowered her gaze for a moment, her lips tightened to a straight line. To see her mother in such a conflicted state was enough to make Marinette's pulse to quicken with concern. Almost immediately, her mother's lips curl to a smile.

"It's nothing," she tucked a loose lock behind Marinette's ear and rested her hand on her shoulder affectionately. "Let me know as soon as you arrive, alright?"

"…Alright."

The image of her mother's serious expression left an impression on Marinette as she followed the directions on her phone. Her mind pondered over the possibility that there was something wrong and that her mother didn't want to trouble her with it. As she dabbled with these thoughts, with her gaze pointed to the ground, she smacked her left side onto a tall, sturdy body in front of her. The impact brought her to fall over, crushing the box of pastries under her.

"I'm sorry!" her legs wobbled as she stood, carrying the now disfigured box closer to her chest as she did so.

"Tch."

She raised her chin and blinked in surprise. Before her was a tall, grey-suited boy with well-kept blond hair, a pair of vivid green eyes with a piercing gaze.

Even within brief seconds of eye-contact, his glare was enough to feel herself shiver in the middle of spring.

"I'm so sorry! IwasntpayingattentionandI-"

The stoic boy ignored every word she said and bent down to pick up a stray croissant on the pavement. He turned around and threw the pastry to the closest bin.

"Me and my bad luck," he muttered before he strode away, shoving his hands into his pockets as he did so.

Marinette bit her lip and furrowed her brows at the boy's coldness. Refusing to let irritation to get to her, she stormed to the other direction.

Unbeknownst either of them, the boy had dropped a silver ring onto the pavement, which Marinette had inadvertently kicked as she fumed her way towards her destination.

* * *

Marinette looked over her screen one last time and raised her head to the door. Her gaze then pointed to the disfigured box and gave out a long sigh.

_There's no way he's going to accept this, _she crinkled her forehead at the thought.

She rang the doorbell, her nerves creeping over her as soon as she heard footsteps on the other side. The door swung open and Marinette was first greeted by the sight of an elderly man of Asiatic descent whose stature was no higher than her chest.

"H-hi," she racked her brain, realizing that she hadn't thought about how she was going to introduce herself. "Th-these are for you. I-I mean, my mom told me to give you these- oh, that's right, I'm Mari-"

"-Marinette Dupain-Cheng," the old man nodded with a satisfied smile. "Pleased to meet you at last."

"Ah, yes. That's me," she nodded back, feeling two times more foolish than she had already is.

"Please come in, Marinette," he gestured.

"-Right."

As soon as she entered, the first thing she noted was the eastern styled décor; with little finishes of antique wares. A phonograph, a glazed pot with tiny cracks, and a rice paper-panelled divider off to the corner of the room. The old man sat on his knees on the floor mat at the centre of the room, gesturing for her to do the same.

"My name is Wang Fu," Marinette sat down in front of him as he spoke. "I'm sure your mother never told you anything about me, hasn't she?"

She shook her head.

"It is understandable," he nodded. "With everything that has happened, your mother made the right choice not to talk about me or anything about our family."

"Um…?"

"Oh, that's right, come with me to the kitchen and let me pour you some tea," the elderly man stood up and headed towards the door on the other side before Marinette could say anything.

Reluctant and confused in trying to understand what was happening, she followed him and asked; "I'm sorry, Mr Fu. But can I ask what this is all about? How do you know my name? Are you some distant relative I don't know about or-?"

"Your mother is my grand-niece," he began as he prepared his ingredients. "Which makes you my great grand-niece. Your mother sent you here because I wished to meet and talk with you."

"Oh," the pigtailed girl slowly nodded, letting his words sink in. "You wanted to… meet me?"

He filled the teapot and started to the fire on the stove, chuckling as he did so. "I merely wish to get to know you, Marinette. Having to live for so long, I cannot help but wish to meet my late, younger sister's newest descendant."

He then sat down on a chair nearby with Marinette sitting on the one across him.

"So, Marinette, how old are you now?"

"T-turning fourteen this year."

"Hmm. I take it you've never been outside of Paris either, no?"

"No...?"

Her apparent great, grand uncle held his chin as he gave her a long stare and nodded once more. "I don't know if you remember, but this is not the first time we met. Earlier this year, I was crossing the street and you came by to assist me."

Marinette opened her mouth to speak, only to have the kettle's whistle to interrupt her.

"It was only later when I came to visit Sabine that I found out about you," -he stood up and turned the stove off. He poured the hot water into a ceramic teapot as he continued- "And so here we are now."

"Oh, okay," the pigtailed girl fidgeted her fingers. "So… Uncle Fu? No, wait, how should I refer you as-?"

"Being called uncle doesn't sound bad. But if you are not comfortable, you may call me by my profession as 'Master Fu', if you will."

"R-right. So, Uncle Fu… no, Master Fu. Can I ask why you brought me here?"

At this point, Marinette became convinced that wherever this conversation was leading, she knew that the question would have to be brought up again.

Master Fu returned to his seat, A full Chinese tea set on a tray in hand and settled it onto the small coffee table between them. He then poured tea into one of the handmade teacups and passed it to Marinette.

"Before I answer your question, let me tell you a story from long ago," he began. "There was once an Order of monks tasked with the duty of safekeeping nineteen sacred treasures. These sacred treasures were vessels to powerful spirits that embody the world's abstract concepts. For centuries the Order had safely guarded these treasures, until one day, the order's temple was raided by thieves. Those thieves stole most of the sacred treasures, all except one and left the temple in ruins.

The surviving members of the Order vowed to take back the sacred treasures and sought for the thieves. It only later did they find that the thieves had sold the missing eighteen treasures to merchants from different parts of the world, much to their dismay. And so, the members of the Order set out to travel around the world in hopes to reclaim these treasures. But as countless of generations have passed, of all the eighteen, only three have been retrieved."

The elderly man's gaze pointed at a phonograph across the room and then to Marinette.

"I have been looking for a successor to inherit the will of the Order of Guardians the Wang family have guarded for centuries. When I heard of you from your mother, I simply wished to get to know you in person to see if you are worthy of its succession."

"Wh-what are you saying-" the poor girl tried to process his words.

"Since then, I watched over you from time to time and became convinced that you would do anything it takes to do what is right. Generous at heart, but never boastful in your achievements. And more importantly, you have a good sense of responsibility in everything that you do."

Master Fu then looked at her directly in the eye and said; "Marinette, I choose you to become the next Guardian of the Miracle box."

* * *

"Are you certain that you made the right choice?"

Fu kept his eye on the window, resting his weight on the windowsill. Outside, he watched as his newly-acquainted niece droop her shoulders on her way home.

"I have never been more certain than anything else in my entire life," the old man replied. "What we must do now is to wait for her to come to a decision."

He turned his head to face the small green sprite that hovered over his shoulder.

"Forgive me, master," the little sprite couldn't help but voice its concerns. "But what happens if she turns you down?"

"She won't."

Both guardian and sprite turned their heads towards the doorway. There stood a petite girl whose features resembled Marinette, minus the longer pigtails and a more youthful complexion.

"Bridgette," Wang narrowed his eyes. "You should be resting right now. You are in no condition to be standing about."

"I'm sorry Uncle," Bridgette gave him a pitiful smile. "But I wanted to see it. No, I had to see it done."

Fu held a tight lip, his brows knitted with concern at the way her limbs trembled as she put her full weight to the side of the door.

"Even if I made a mistake in the first run," he walked towards his other niece, offering a hand as she limped to the closest chair. "But I assure you, Bridgette, that I was not wrong in my discernment about you. And I believe you are just as worthy as she is."

"You're giving me too much credit. If I hadn't made that wish-"

"There is no point in dwelling in the past," he interjected. "When a fruit is ripe, it cannot turn back into the greening. No matter what happens, what matters now is to learn from them and find a better solution."

The petite girl nodded her head dolefully, biting her lip as she hoped and prayed that her cousin wouldn't make the same mistake as she did.


	3. An encounter becomes an ill-kind of omen

Marinette slumped to the chaise longue in her room; her mind exhausted by everything that had been dumped on her. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose to squeeze out the impending headache.

_"M-Master Fu," _she recalled the exchange she had with him. _"I can't take this responsibility, I'm not even old enough to start driving yet."_

_"I know that to be granted such a task may seem overwhelming," he said assuringly. "But it is for the good of the world that will of the Order must carry out its legacy."_

_"But what am I supposed to do if I am to accept this? I'm clumsy; I couldn't even make a decent delivery without falling flat on my face."_

_"I never said that you will inherit our family's legacy just yet. I have chosen you as a successor and part of that succession comes with training you on how to become one."_

_"…But… I…"_

_As if he had sensed her trepidation, the elderly man's lips lifted into a kind smile._

_"…I understand," he said, patting the side of her shoulder. "To know what you are lacking is a quality in itself. But you must stop selling yourself short of the qualities that you have now. I do believe you have what it takes. But if you choose not to, then I will concede to your decision."_

_"…I'll think about it."_

"Murgh! Why is this suddenly happening to me?" she grabbed a cushion and buried her nose into it. "Of all people, why am I suddenly chosen for this kind of thing!?"

She clutched the cushion in hand, her eyes staring out into the ceiling. Her mind committed to the memory of her newly acquainted relative's words. It was far too outlandish to be true.

_A secret society? A box of sacred treasures? _The idea brought a mirthless laugh.

Her thoughts then pointed to her mother, who, when she had arrived, had been waiting for her to come home. When Marinette summarised the exchange between her and her newly acquainted relative, her mother affirmed Master Fu's statement without hesitation. What then followed was revealing the problematic ties that the Wang family had with the Cheng family and the succession of the practice of 'gaurdianship'.

_No wonder why Mom doesn't talk about them, _she concluded. _To think that my great, grandmother had disowned grandmother for eloping with grandfather._

"Does dad know about this?" she murmured, only to recall of how little her mother had spoken about her own family.

She made a long sigh, stood up and slapped her cheeks.

"Alright," she strode to her desk and opened her planner. "No time to think about this now."

_After all, I've got school tomorrow._

* * *

Paris streets lit up at dusk, painting the city into its warm-lit glow, the street lamps casting long shadows against the cobblestones. Among the shadows, a black-cladded boy squandered all over the streets for his missing ring.

Did his bad luck finally reach the pinnacle? To lose the very thing that had been blamed for his many misfortunes? He didn't know. What he did know is that if he were to lose the ring, the catastrophe that it brings might be left unhinged.

On his left side, he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He tutted as he raised it to his view and immediately frowned at the profile.

"Felix," that familiar calm, firm voice spoke as soon as he opened the call. "Have you found it yet?"

"No, I haven't," Felix echoed the same stern tone. "And calling me while I am scouring around these streets won't help me find it."

The voice on the other side of the screen gave out a short, irritated sigh. "Look, if you had paid close attention while getting here, you wouldn't have lost it-"

The boy refused to listen any further and cut off the conversation. He swiped his phone settings to silence all calls and notifications and immediately resumed his search. More than anything else, he wanted to free himself from the confines of the reality he was currently living. But he knew in doing so would-

"You won't find it here."

Felix turned to follow the direction of the voice that interrupted his trail of thought. Amidst the veiled alleyways, he saw a figure standing long meters away from where he was.

"Whatever it is you're looking for, you won't find it," the owner of the voice sounded young and high-pitched.

At this point, Felix was done with interruptions. Rather than giving this strange girl his attention, he turned to leave until the following words tumbled out of her mouth:

"If you take that miraculous to him, there is no telling what he'll do once he gets his hands on it."

"…Who are you?" his eyes narrowed. "What business does a creepy girl like you have to know about it."

"Hey," the veiled girl immediately snapped. "I'm not a creep. I'm just telling you now, don't involve yourself with it. Or _him _for that matter. It… It won't end well for you."

"You'd expect me to believe in vague words like that while you're hiding in the dark like a shady dealer?"

Silence.

Times like these, Felix would rather ignore strange girls like her, but he knew he couldn't ignore her awareness to something so significant as a 'miraculous.'

"You never answered my question," his voice darkened with command. "Who are you? And how do you know about the existence of the miraculous?"

"I… Not telling."

He would've sworn that he felt a vein pop on his forehead. His patience was at wit's end as he made wide strides towards the source of his annoyance. Just as he was about to draw closer towards this mysterious girl, he heard a scuffle of footsteps trailing away from him. He hastened his pace in hopes of stopping the girl, only to see her disappear amongst the more crowded areas of the streets.

He swore under his breath when he knew he had missed her.

**Author's note: **

**I know things are a little slow. But this is me trying to set things up. I wanted to make it a little longer, but I felt that it seemed more appropriate to end the chapter here.**

**Though I say that this is a canon divergence au, please let me know if I got some character names wrong. Typos and half-dead brain cells caused an inconsistency on some of the details that I had to fix when noticed them before I posted this.**

**I am still fairly new to this site, so having to figure stuff out with the whole doc manager system is almost driving me insane when I saw how it glitched when I first posted this new chapter.**


	4. in which everything begins part 1

**In which everything finally begins (part 1)**

Adrien Agreste made sure that the coast was clear. Having missed the entire first week of the new school year; he knew that to spend a day longer will only solidify his confinement within his own home. For the first time after the seven tries he made, Nathalie had slipped her attention away from him. He took the chance and bolted out the door and into the path towards the Françoise Dupont campus.

Never ceasing his hastened steps, he turned his head back to make sure Nathalie or his bodyguard wasn't trailing behind. Just as he had crossed the road, his foot slipped and brought him to fall front to the asphalt. A small glint of sunlight reflected onto his line of sight, bringing his attention towards the side of the street as he picked himself up.

_A ring? _He noted at the ebony sheen of metal lying there within his periphery. The boy picked up the black ring, swinging his head from side to side to see if there was anyone within range looking for it.

He gritted his teeth, well aware that if he were to spend one more minute out in the open his caretakers would inevitably catch up. Deciding to make a mental note to probably go to the police station later, he resumed his pace towards the school.

On every billboard of every street, his face was painted on every one of them. So much so that bystanders who recognised him didn't hesitate to whip out their phones and tweeted their ten-seconds of star-struck moment. Unaware of such behaviours, Adrien turned his head back for a second the very moment he heard his name from a stranger.

When the entrance to the campus was within sight, his eyes lit up at the idea that his dream might finally become a reality.

Upon setting one foot onto the step, a blare of a car horn pierced his eardrums, followed Nathalie's voice calling his name.

"Adrien, please don't make this harder than it already is," she urged him.

"I know that father always says what's best for me," the blonde boy persisted. "But I how am I supposed to know what's best for me if I've never seen the world for myself? I just wanted to try and be like everyone else, going to school like everyone else."

"Adrien-"

"Please, Nathalie. Can't you convince Father that I really wanted this?"

A slight conflicted look reflected his father's assistant's eyes. She then released a heavy sigh, rubbing her temples with her hand.

"I will try," her tone a little morose as if she had given up.

His face lit up-

"However," she quickly added. "If your father refuses, I will not be so lenient that I would turn a blind eye if you pull this stunt again."

Adrien couldn't contain his excitement that he missed Nathalie's last words. "Thank you, Nathalie!"

* * *

"By 1781, Jacques Necker was accused of falsifying the records of the country's finances. Factoring in the amount of debt that France had received from their involvement with the American Revolution, the nation was-"

Miss Bustier's words became inaudible to Marinette's ears, her thoughts drifted towards her family's secret legacy. Resting her chin on her hands, her eyes drifted to the window with a long sigh.

_How important are those treasures anyway? _She idly thought. _Wouldn't it make more sense if they were handed over to a museum?_

Four knocks were heard from the other side of the door. The entire class halted as soon as the door swung open. From where Marinette sat, she saw a blonde-haired boy enter the room, hand clutching the strap of his bag, his eyes reflecting a bright green sheen.

"Mr Damocles," Miss Bustier began. "Is there something-?"

"Pardon us, Miss Bustier," the principal entered the classroom behind the boy. "I am sure you were notified of the other new student coming to this class?"

"About time!" Chloe Bourgeois stuck her nose up.

"Hey, isn't he-"

"-In the flesh-"

"Adrien Agreste…"

"Settle down, please," said Miss Bustier. "As you were saying, Mr Damocles?"

Damocles cleared his throat; "Yes, yes. Class, this is Adrien Agreste. Due to a little mishap or two, he missed a week of school and will now be part of this class as of this school year."

The name 'Agreste' rang in Marinette's ears. She remembered during her first week of school, Chloe had spoken of this mysterious boy endlessly despite his absence. So much so, she decided that whoever this Adrien was, to be Chloe's friend could only mean more trouble coming her way. What she didn't realize was how this boy was not only Chloe's 'friend'; his last name could only mean…

"-Why not have Adrien sit on the front row with Nino?" her the teacher pointed at the empty seat next to her classmate.

Upon seeing the seating arrangement, Marinette had already feared the worse; to have this guy sit right in front of her might spell trouble in the future.

"Hey, Marinette," Alya, Marinette's new acquainted friend from the first week nudged her side with her elbow. "Aren't you glad we fought to claim this seat with a great view?"

"I don't know, Alya," the pig-tailed girl drooped her head to the table. "I don't like where this year's going."

* * *

Back at the massage shop, as soon as Bridgette Yang had finished her lunch, she thanked Uncle Fu for the meal and began making her preparations. Despite the dwindling strength left within her, the petite girl knew that if she were to leave things be, everything she had done would be sacrificed.

Just as she approached the phonograph in the living room, her uncle clapped his hand onto her shoulder.

"I understand that this is something you have to do," he began. "But you must understand that if you are to use them any more than ten times, your mind and your body will not be able to withstand its power."

"I know, Uncle," Bridgette turned around and clasped his hand with a trembling one of her own. "I'm too far gone into this to stop. If I don't stop, then everything I've done will be for nothing."

"Bridgette," Uncle Fu tightened his grip of her hand, his eyes staring directly at hers. "I will not stop you, but always remember that I will always be an uncle before a guardian to you. When I tell you enough is enough, please, I beg of you to reconsider."

The petite girl nodded and proceeded to press the two dragon patterns on the side of the phonograph, enabling the secret coded buttons to reveal itself. After pressing the right combination, the phonograph opened itself and revealed the mahogany box of the sacred treasures.

There inside lay a pair of ladybug-patterned earrings, a snake wristband and a pale blue pocket watch. She then grabbed all three and wore them on; taking in a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself for what she was about to face.

"Tikki, spots on."

* * *

A few minutes before class was about to end, Marinette saw the new boy crouching over her seat just as soon as she and Alya entered the room.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Marinette angrily spoke, making wide strides towards the blonde boy.

"Ah- this… I can explain-"

Not far from where Adrien was, Chloe and Sabrina laughed with clear satisfaction, further cementing Marinette's doubts about him. The Agreste boy immediately stood up defensively, only to move aside as soon as the pigtailed girl crouched down to inspect what he had done on her seat. Upon the revelation that newly-chewed gum was plastered to where she usually sits, her eyes flared at the blond boy.

"You're friends with Chloe, right?"

"Wait, I was only trying to get it-"

"-Great job, you three," Marinette eyed the two giggling girls then back to Adrien. "If this is your way of impressing girls like her, you might as well have earned it."

"-Like I said-"

"Hmph." The pigtailed girl laid a napkin over the spot where the chewing gum was and sat on her seat, letting the boy know she rested her case.

Sensing that she refused to listen to his defence, he slouched his back as he returned to his seat. Matters didn't help when the assumed culprit was sitting right in front of her, knowing that she'll be seeing the back of his head for the next set of months.

By the time the class was half-way through the lesson, the floor beneath Marinette's feet rumbled. Every passing second, the rumbling grew stronger, prompting the entire class to suddenly look unsettled. Heads turned from side to side, their immediate assumption was possibly a slight earthquake. Just as they thought the rumbling had settled, the classroom door bursts, no, flew right across the classroom entrance, revealing a monstrous, stone-giant.

"MYLENE!" the stone-beast cried out.

Panic took over the entire class, sending the students to scramble towards the closest cover they could find. Marinette was too stunned at sight of the broken door to realize the monster trudged its steps towards the desks, tossing the tables and chairs into the air. One of the desks was sent flying towards her way until she felt someone grab hold of her and pushed her away from it.

Disorientated, she looked up to find the blond boy on top of her; from where the two lay, she saw the desk in splinters. Adrien wearily stood up; his limbs shaken at the impact as he stared at what could have happened to either of them if he hadn't lunged in.

"Let go of me!"

Marinette's gaze turned to the stone creature, who now took hold of Mylene, one of her classmates.

"Daddy! Please come save me!" Chloe cried out on her phone. "THere's a stone monster in my classroom-!"

The stone-giant snatched the Mayor's daughter from where she hid and smashed its way back to where it entered. As soon as the monster disappeared, their teacher had to dismiss the entire class to which the entire class had more than obliged to follow. That is until Nino raised his voice and said;

"But how are we gonna get out of here if that thing's still in the way?!"

For the first time, Marinette had seen Miss Bustier wear a fearful expression, now seemingly unaware of what to do in circumstances like this. Just as fear had slowly crept in, Alya clapped Marinette's shoulder, her face unnaturally brimming with enthusiasm despite the situation they were it.

"This is it," her voice more hyper than usual. "We just saw the perfect super-villain! C-mon Marinette, we've got a scoop to catch!"

"Alya, are you crazy-!"

Her seatmate grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the classroom, despite the pigtailed girl's protests. Realizing that Alya was dragging her towards the stone giant, Marinette felt her spine go cold.

"Alya, I'm begging you! It's too dangerous! We could be killed!" she shouted.

"Ah, sorry," her friend released her hand but continued to pursue the monster's trail. "It's alright if you're scared, but if you're up for it, then follow me!"

Marinette couldn't utter a word, eyes widened with shock as she tried to register the events that had unfolded.

* * *

Adrien and the rest of the class evacuated the classroom, having every one of them run into several directions. Amidst the chaos, he thought it might be better to hide in some corner of an empty room.

"Is school always this chaotic?" he mumbled to himself.

"Isn't this the part where you have to go out there and save the day?"

Right before his eyes, a small black, creature was floating in mid-air.

"Whoa!" the boy jolted.

The creature's eyes reflected a peridot green; its ears resembled that of a cat. Whatever it is, Adrien couldn't help but notice the fact that the floating creature was carrying the black ring he had found earlier in the street.

"Even after being passed down to so many owners, it's always amusing to see a new owner's reaction," the creature coyly grinned.

"Owner? Being passed down? What-?"

"Aren't you the new owner, kid?"

"Uh, no. I don't remember owning a pet of your size, let alone one that floats."

"Figures," the creature shrugged. "Looks like I'll have to start the entire drill again. My name is Plagg, I'm a kwami and I grant superpowers. So put this ring on and let's get this over with."

* * *

Bridgette leapt her way towards Françoise Dupont high with great urgency. Having donned the Ladybug Miraculous earrings had enabled her to transform into a ladybug-patterned superhero. The surge of power that flowed within her provided enough strength to pull her weight into the air with one leap onto the city's rooftops. She knew that if she were to remain in her transformed state for more than twenty to thirty minutes, her body would eventually reject the flow of power that flowed from her earrings.

_Don't worry about things like that now, _she chided at herself.

As soon as the campus roof was in sight, she then swung her yoyo weapon at one of the campus's rooftop pipes and have it coil around it. Guaranteeing its grip, Bridgette swung right into the hole made from the damages of the possessed super-villain.

As soon as she landed onto the ground, her vision warped, her head suddenly heavy, bringing her to collapse.

_Oh no. Did I run out of time?!_

Seeing the damages caused by the current super-villain, she immediately determined who it was and how to defeat it. It was too risky to let the monster go loose, and so the petite girl tried to stomach in whatever pains and dizzy-spells she was feeling and headed straight towards the villain.

Upon reaching the school-courtyard, she saw the giant monster clasping two girls with its two hands. Seizing her chance while the monster had its back on her direction, she swung her yoyo and had it coil around the monster's legs. She then hauled the string, causing the monster to trip and fall on its back and release the blond girl from its grip.

Bridgette leapt to the lower ground, pulling her yoyo to uncoil its string around the monster; her mind racing as she tried to remember how to remedy this akumatized villain.

"Look out!"

The monster threw a locker towards Bridgette's direction. Everything that followed flew by in seconds. Just as she saw the locker flying towards her direction, someone had lunged in and dragged her out of the way.

"Come on, this way!" a familiar voice called out as she found herself being dragged into one of the rooms.

* * *

Marinette tried to catch her breath, having let go of the skin-tight suited girl. Standing before her was a girl in twin-tails similar to hers; her face veiled with a mask with ladybug patterned dots. Whoever this stranger was, she knew that someone of her size would easily be crushed by the stone giant.

"…Thank you," said the masked girl.

"It's fine, no biggy. But more importantly," Marinette crossed her arms. "What were you thinking, jumping into the scene like that? You know you can't beat him."

"I know what it looks like, but I know what I'm doi…" the red-clad girl collapsed mid-sentence, fell back against the wall and slid to the ground on her knees.

"Are you alright?!"

The girl in response gasped for air as if she were in pain.

"We should get you to the hospital-"

"No!" the red girl grasped Marinette's wrist, shaking her head heavily. "Please, nobody can know about this!"

"But you're hurt!"

"Marinette, please listen to me."

Marinette ceased all movement upon the sound of her name. "…How did you know who I am?"

The red girl's shoulders heaved for breath and closed her eyes.

"Tikki spots off."

Almost immediately, the red-clad girl's appearance flashed into a petite girl with long twin-tails, wearing a blue cardigan over a white shirt with mini shorts.

"Marinette, I don't have time to explain," the petite girl began. "But I'm going to need you to do something for me."

The girl then weakly removed the earring studs from her earlobes and presented it to Marinette.

"I want you… to take… my place."


End file.
